Brake system



June 2;'5, 1936.

G. w. SMITH ET AL BRAKE SYSTEM 2 Shets-Sheet l- N Filed Feb. 21, 1934.

/NVE/VTQRS GLEN 14,/ SM/ rh' was 7T SM/Th' Br f/rroR//EK June 23, 1936. w, sMn-H ET AL 2,044,999

BRAKE SYSTEM Filed Feb. 2l, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 23, 1936 BRAKE SYSTEM Glen W. Smith and Charlas T. Smithi' The , Oreg.

Application February 21, 1934, Serial No. 712,939

4 Claims. (Cl. 188'-90) This invention relates generally to a brake system and particularly one having a wide eld of usefulness ranging from the automotive ileld to the paper making industry.

The main object of this invention is to provide a unique form of retarding mechanism particularly adapted for use on heavy vehicles, and while it is capable of many various applications it will be illustrated and described in connection with an automobile.

These, and other objects, will become more apparent from the -SlJeiflcation following as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan of a portion of a chassis.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the pedal mechanism and its attached parts.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the brake element with the cover removed.

Fig. 4 is a section taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 3. A

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the rotor.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the variable pitch propeller.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the yoke for controlling the pitch of the propeller blades.

Similar numbers of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring in detail to the drawings, there is shown a chassis frame I 8 whose forward end is supported on the usual form of front axle ii on the ends of which `are mounted the wheels I2. 0n the chassis Ill is mounted an engine I8 provided with the usual radiator I4, water line I5 and fan it.

Referring particularly to the retarding device. same will be seen to include a rectangular casing Ill having a closed end I8 and a removable cover plate i9. The casing I'l is provided with a plurality of radial ribs 28 which are cut away along the lines 2l, 22 and 23. The ribs 20 radiate from the axis of the shaft 24 which Journals in the stumng box 25 in the end I8.

The shaft 24 is driven through a .disk clutch 26 which is controlled by a cone 21 on theclutch drive shaft 28, to which rotation is supplied by a silent chain 29 which is driven from the main propeller shaft 30, and it is clear that same will cause the shaft 28 to rotate whenever the ca r is moving along the ground or its driving wheels are rotating.

Secured to the shaft 24 on the inside of the casing Il is a rotor hub 3l from which project the rotor spokes .32 which support the circular rim 33. In the hub 3| are the bearings 84, which are spaced apart and in alignment'with each other and normally intersecting the axis of the shaft 24. The rim 38 is providedwith the diametrically opposite holes which are coaxial with the bearings 34. The spokes 32 are cut away along 5 the lines 38 and I'l to receive the propeller blades I8.

Each propeller blade 38 has an outer trunnion .39 which journals in the hole 35, and an inner shaft portion 40 which journals in the bearings 10 I4. Each shaft portion 48 is provided with a crank 4I having a laterally turned crank pin 4-2. The crank pins 42 engage the slots 43 in the yoke 44 at all times, and the angularity of the blades 38 is controlled by the position of the yoke 15 44 as determined by the longitudinal position of the rod 45, to which the yoke 44 is attached.

The rod 45 is slidably mounted in the cap 46, which is secured to the hub 3| by means of the bolts 4l. It is desirable to providen the cover 20 plate I9 with ribs 48 which .correspond with the ribs 20.

Thellurpose of the ribs 20 and 48 is two-fold, namely, they prevent the fluid contained within the casing Il from traveling about a circular 25 path without oiering much resistance to the rotation of the shaft 28, and also strengthen the casing Il as well as assist in the conduction of heat away from the point of generation to the exterior of the casing.

The longitudinal position of the rod 45 is determined by a bell crank lever 49 on the rock shaft 50 which is supported by the bracket 5I extending from the same cross member 5IA which supports the casing ll. 35

The lever 49 is urged by the spring 52 against a stop 53 which will hold the blades 38 in the plane of the spokes 32, unless moved away therefrom. The lever 49 is joined by a slotted rod 54 to a slide 5s which is mounted in the guides 5s 4 v attached to the chassis I8. 'Ihe slide 55 is provided with a longitudinal slot 5l whose rearmost end 58 is downturned and is normally occupied by a roller 59 which is carried by a lever 60 on 45 the rock shaft 6I which journals in the brackets 62.

The shaft 5I has secured thereon a forked clutch operating lever 68 which engages the cone 21. Movement is supplied to the slide by 50 means of the link 54 which is attached to the lever 55 on the shaft 66 of the auxiliary brake pedal 5l. The brake pedal 58 and its connections, which correspond to those of the usual foot brake, will not be described'in'detail. A. spring 65 69 returns the auxiliary brake pedal 51 to a rest position when not being operated.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the automobile is standing still it may be held by its usual emergency or hand brake (not shown) or by the ordinary foot brake 68, but ii.' the vehicle is descending a grade then its propeller shaft 30 is rotating and consequently the shaft 28 is being driven through the chain 29. It it is desired to retard the movement of the vehicle the operator merely depresses the pedal 61 which causes the link 64 to move the slide 55 rearwardly, the rst portion of which movement causes the roller 59 to rise out of the rear end of the slot 51, imparting a rocking movement to the lever 60, which results in the clutch cone 21 being moved between the clutch fingers 10 and causing the shaft 24 to be driven. Near the top of the casing I1 is disposed the discharge portv 12 and near the shaft 2d is disposed the intake port 15 through which the fluid 1I is drawn from Ythe radiator I4 and driven by the pump vanes 38 out of the discharge port 12 by centrifugal force.

As the operator further depresses the pedal 51, the roller 59 merely slides along in the slot 51 producing no further action at the clutch cone 21 but imparting a sliding movement to the rod Q5 which, through the yoke M, turns the blades 3B away from the plane of the spokes 32, causing same to act against the fluid 1i in the casing il and force saine by centrifugal action outwardly through the discharge pgrt 12 and pipe 113 to the water line I5 of the radiator I4, from whence it returns by way of the pipe 14 to the inlet 15 of the casing I1.

Obviously, the pumping action thus set up will generate heat, but since the device is used principally on down grades when the cooling unit of the vehicle is not otherwise taxed it follows that the radiator of the automobile can be utilized for water cooling its brakes, and the problem of dissipating the heat from the hydraulic braking mechanism is completely solved. While it might appear that the water from the radiator i4 due to the engine heat would be much hotter than it could be made by the action of the brake in practice, this is not the case, since the generation and dissipation of heat is not instantaneous. For example, .if a truck equipped with this device should climb a long grade and the water in the cooling system be heated as a result thereof, then as soon as the truck descended a. grade and the operator applied the hydraulic brake, it would of course begin to generate heat. However, it must be remembered that at precisely the same moment the motor has ceased to generate any appreciable quantity of heat so that the cooling action is transferred from the motor to the pump and vice versa.

As previously stated, although the functioning of the device` is more readily apparent in connection with automobiles, it has of course numerous other applications to which it is intended to apply.

We claim:

1 A hydraulic braking mechanism comprising a casing having a rotatable shaft journaling in one end thereof and having a variable pitch propeller mounted on said shaft, a rotatable ring supporting the outer ends of the propeller blades, said casing having inturned radial ribs extending from the walls thereof toward the blades of said propeller when in their maximum pitch position, a slidable yoke connected to said blades having an operating rod extending through the pump casing to a point of operation.

2. The device described in claim l in combination with a clutch through which said shaft can be driven from the propeller shaft of an automobile, and an auxiliary brake pedal the first portion of whose movement will engage said clutch to cause said propeller to operate and a further movement thereof will produce a variation in the pitch of the propeller blades.

3. A brake system for an automobile having in combination a pump having a selectively controlled variable output, a clutch for 'driving said pump from the drive wheels of the automobile, conduits for connecting said pump to the radiator of said automobile, a brake pedal having a slotted slide attached thereto and a crank arm engaging the slot in said slide whereby the output of said pump may be varied in a manner that the iirst portion of the pedal travel will engage the pump clutch and the latter portion of its Vmovement will control the output of said pump.

4. 'Ihe combination of an automobile having a clutch and clutch operating pedal and having a cooling system with a variable output fluid pumping mechanism operable from the propeller shaft of the automobile, said pumping mechanism including a means operable by the clutch pedal for varying the output of said pumping mechanism from zero to full capacity, means for engaging said clutch prior to the departure of said pumping mechanism from its zero position, and a cooling system for dissipating the heat generated by said pumping mechanism.

GIEN W. SMITH. CHARLES T. SMITH'. 

